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Tapley’s section of River of Golden Dreams to close today

Nesters Hill trails closed for wildfire work
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Photo by Mike Crane/Courtesy of Tourism Whistler

If you’re planning a trip down the River of Golden Dreams this weekend, take note: the Tapley’s section (from the Alta Lake fish weir to the CN rail bridge) will be closed as of today, August 14.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) implemented the closure—which will be in effect until mid to late October—to protect the shallow spawning beds and rearing grounds of kokanee salmon.

Boaters are asked to launch from the portage trail below the lower railway bridge (accessed from the end of Lorimer Road) or to portage the 600-metre section from the weir to the lower railway bridge.

“The Tapley’s section is one of the shallowest and most vulnerable sections of the river, and it is an important spawning and rearing location for kokanee,” reads an RMOW release.

“Below the railway bridge the river is deeper, which means boats drag along the substrate less and boaters don’t need to get out of their boats as often. This lowers the impact on kokanee eggs incubating in the gravel and stirs up less sediment into the water column.”

River users are asked to help protect Whistler’s sensitive ecosystems by properly disposing of inflatable boats and water toys that have deflated, along with any garbage and recycling, in the appropriate bins.

Read more here.

Meanwhile, the RMOW is also set to begin wildfire prevention work on Nesters Hill, one of the priority areas identified in its 2019-2027 wildfire program.

Fuel thinning work will take place on two hectares located on the east side of Nesters Hill next to the RMOW public works yard and Rainbow substation.

The work will begin August 17 (pending a low or moderate fire danger rating) and will take about five weeks.

All trails on Nesters Hill will be closed for the duration of the work, including: Cut Yer Bars slabs; Cut Yer Bars Trail; Robin Yer Eggs; Roll Yer Bones; Cut Yer Bones; Cut Yer Bars blue; Hands of Doom; Suicycle; Sh*ts and Giggles; and ESP.

Check whistler.ca/FuelThinning for the latest trail updates.

“Fuel thinning treatments near neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure is important to prevent the spread of wildfire in residential areas,” said Councillor Arthur De Jong, in a release. “I appreciate the community’s patience and respect for these trail closures in the short term to help protect our community from wildfires in the long term.”